Posted on December 13, 2017

Robert Bosack, DDS, Michael Rollert, DDS and Stuart Lieblich, DMD, on behalf of their Board of Directors, Advisory and Consulting Committees were pleased to formally introduce the Dental Patient Safety Foundation to an audience of over 400 attendees. The Dental Patient Safety Foun-dation (DPSF) has been created for the sole purpose of improving the safety and quality of dental care in the United States.

About the DPSF

The Dental Patient Safety Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization whose only mis-sion is to improve safety and quality of dental care, regardless of specialty, by non-partisan col-lecting, aggregating and analyzing information about patient safety events, which can be safely, voluntarily and confidentially reported in its reporting tool. All licensed health care practitioners are invited and encouraged to repeatedly and frequently submit any concerns or incidents regard-ing patient safety reports via the DPSF REPORTING TOOL, which can be found the their website. Full confidentiality of all reports is protected by the federal government.

The DPSF is a listed Patient Safety Organization (P0198) in compliance with the Patient Safety Rule of the Federal Department of Health and Human Services, which legally protects and main-tains the confidentiality of all disclosures. The Patient Safety Rule was enacted to encourage vol-untary reporting of sensitive information without the risk of discovery or liability.

The 2 most important aspects of the DPSF mission, however, are the creation and ongoing sup-port of a culture of safety and the frequent and swift reporting back to the dental profession to reduce risks, minimize hazards and improve the quality of dental care. These reports will be de-veloped and circulated on a monthly basis and will be made available on the DPSF website. The Foundation hopes that all organized dentistry will appreciate the value of this mission and offer tangible support. A true culture of safety requires lifelong commitment and participation.

How Can I Help To Improve Patient Safety

SPREAD THE WORD: Encourage your colleagues and organizations to support this profession-wide culture of safety initiative.

REPORT OFTEN: Visit the DPSF website and use the confidential reporting tool to share near misses, unsafe conditions or patient harm. Examples include wrong site procedures, medical or anesthetic misadventures, lapses in infection control, among many others. Reports can be made anonymously or confidentially, for those wishing direct feedback. Information about events in the past is also welcome.

LEARN AND IMPROVE: Sign up to receive monthly safety reports immediately after release.

CONTRIBUTE: The DPSF is a non-profit organization that relies solely on outside financial support.

Posted on December 13, 2017

"Over the past few years, we’ve seen continuous advancements and steady growth in digital dentistry – more recently in areas such as CAD/CAM production of dentures, increased productivity with restoration devices that feature disc changers, and improved in-clinic solutions that allow dentists and labs to build collaborative relationships to meet the unique needs of patients.

As a producer of high quality dental restorations, you need to know how to choose the right solutions to keep you competitive, and more importantly – successful."

Join Dental Product Manager, Dwight Blair to learn:

- How in-clinic restoration solutions are shaping a bright future for labs and clinics together

- Why more and more technicians are adopting digital denture workflows

Posted on December 12, 2017

The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) will pilot a dental team certificate program during their 34th Annual AACD Scientific Session, April 18-21, 2018, in Chicago.

The Team Certificate program will educate dental team members on essential skills for assisting with cosmetic dentistry patients. These essentials include: communication skills, contemporary concepts in cosmetic dentistry, leadership and business skills, and esthetic dental photography.“A dental practice can only be successful with knowledgeable, motivated team members,” explained Mickey Bernstein, DDS, AAACD, past president of the AACD and member of the AACD Professional Education Committee. “We invite all clinical assistants, administrative team, and hygienists to participate, learn and grow together.”

The initial phase of the Team Certificate pilot program will launch at AACD 2018 in Chicago, where all Level 1 courses will be offered. The Level 1 courses include: Pillars of Strength: Lessons in Leadership with Debra Engelhardt Nash; Contemporary Concepts in Cosmetic Dentistry with Salvatore Lotardo, DDS, AAACD; Game Changers! Two Dynamic Formulas that will Boost Communication in Your Dental Practice with Leigh Ann Faight; and Introduction to Esthetic Dental Photography with Adamo Notarantonio, DDS, AAACD.

Attendees of the Team Certificate courses will be asked to provide their feedback for further development of the program. Upon completion of both Level I and Level II courses, team members will be awarded a Team Certificate recognizing their advanced training in assisting with cosmetic dentistry patients.

Posted on December 12, 2017

MELVILLE, New York — (December 12, 2017) — Air Techniques, Inc., a leading innovator and manufacturer of dental equipment for the past 55 years has completed the recruiting of its new sales team, which is set to hit the ground running on January 1, 2018.

Air Techniques’ dedicated sales force more than doubles the company’s selling manpower. Its new field sales force in North America is comprised of 30 elite sales professionals, including 26 Territory Managers who report to 4 Regional Sales Managers. At the same time its Special Markets sales team doubles capacity with a Director of Special Markets and 3 Special Markets Sales Managers.

“We are excited to have an exclusive sales force that solely represents Air Techniques and is equipped with state-of-the-art support infrastructure and systems,” said Christoph Roeer, Air Techniques’ CEO. “All of our new hires have experience in selling dental equipment through our dealer channel partners. We believe this new direction will provide our dealers and dental practitioners with the best customer experience,” added Mr. Roeer.

Founded in 1962, Air Techniques has brought many first time advances in utility and digital products to dental professionals. In the past 55 years, Air Techniques continues paving the way globally, with compelling, reliable dental products.

Air Techniques’ strong product portfolio of utility systems, digital imaging and merchandise, are capable of equipping the smallest practice to the largest university or hospital. Consistently, Air Techniques remains the leading and largest manufacturer of dental air compressors and vacuum systems in North America.

Posted on December 12, 2017

DryShield, the only all-in-one, fully autoclavable isolation system for dentistry, is excited to announce that it has been recognized by dental legend and thought leader Gordon Christensen in an independent evaluation, published in the Gordon J. Christensen Clinicians Report. Evaluators strongly recommended the dental isolation system, stating that the product provided “excellent isolation, moisture control, retraction, and bite block in one device.” Nearly threequarters of evaluators indicated they would use DryShield in their own practice and believed it was worthy of trial by their colleagues.

The report described DryShield as follows:

Convenient intraoral bite block and moisture control device that combines the tasks of high-suction evacuator, saliva ejector, bite block, tongue shield, retraction, and isolation of two opposing quadrants. Provides hands-free evacuation. Kit includes all four sizes of mouthpieces (pedo, small, medium, and large). Mouthpieces designed to allow for easy cleaning and sterilization for re-use on many patients.

The advantages of DryShield include:

• Excellent isolation with 4 sizes of mouthpieces

• Effective suction and moisture evacuation

• Easy to place and use

DryShield founder Lan Nguyen, DDS remarked, “As a practicing dentist, we are extremely humbled and ecstatic to be recognized by the leader in dental education. It is encouraging to see that we are making an impact on the dental industry, and improving the practice of dentistry with the technology we worked long and hard to develop.”

The DryShield system combines the tasks of a high-suction evacuator, dry angles, cotton rolls, and gauze in one sleek device. DryShield is now in use at thousands of dental practices and has won an array of awards. The system is designed to fit into the economics of dental practices without sacrificing quality. It is the only fully autoclavable modern isolation system available on the market, reducing cost by eliminating the use of disposable mouthpieces. DryShield is available in 4 sizes with interchangeable bite blocks, for a total of 16 different size combinations; ensuring a perfect fit for any patient.

To learn more about DryShield isolation systems, visit dryshield.com. To order, contact DryShield toll-free at 888-379-0300.

Posted on December 11, 2017

Weave, headquartered in Utah’s very own Silicon Slopes, has seen some incredible growth in 2017. From gaining $17 million in investor funding to being ranked as one of the top companies to work for in Utah, they have a lot to thank their customers for…and they plan to.

During the month of December, Weave will show a little extra appreciation to all new customers who sign up for their services by gifting each with an Amazon Echo and 50 percent off their activation fee.

Weave has been known to offer their customers some great promotional discounts in the past, whether an office has signed up for their services at a convention or with one of their knowledgeable sales reps over the phone, they have a history of taking care of their customers. However, this December, they have decided to throw in the added gift of an Amazon Echo as a “Thank you” for choosing their services as you head into the new year.

What does this all mean for you? If you have been wanting a patient communication platform that allows you to text your patients from your office phone, automatically send appointment reminders, recalls and birthday messages as well as provide a means of gaining positive exposure through Google reviews, than this month is the best time to sign up with Weave.

To learn more about Weave and how their software is helping thousands of Dental offices across the United States, as well as to schedule a demo and learn more about the December promotion, visit www.getweave.com

Posted on December 8, 2017

The Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting -- the nation’s leading dental meeting and comprehensive source of continuing education in dentistry – has opened registration for Hinman 2018, which will be held March 22-24 at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) in Atlanta, Georgia. The 106th annual meeting offers dental professionals the opportunity to earn up to 21 hours of continuing education (CE). In addition, new, in-depth courses have been added to a roster of nearly 300 courses and workshops presented by 80 speakers.

“We expect a great turnout this year with dental professionals taking advantage of our world-class educational program, face-to-face networking opportunities and unsurpassed Southern hospitality,” said Dr. Patrick Yancey III, General Chairman for Hinman 2018. “Attendees can expect to discover 31 new speakers, as well as some of the profession’s favorites, and leave the meeting truly inspired to return to their practice and provide great dentistry to their patients.”

Registration opened on Dec. 5 and attendees can secure their courses and events online at www.hinman.org. Attendees can take advantage of lower fees by registering before Feb. 22, 2018.

This year, the meeting has added several new and in-depth sessions to its lineup of continuing education, including:

In addition to Hinman’s continuing education program, Hinman 2018 will feature nearly 400 companies -- located in the Building A Exhibit Hall. Exhibitors will showcase new technology, equipment, products and services for the entire dental staff. New this year, Hinman will offer “Free Advice” booths in the exhibit hall where Hinman members will provide guidance on a number of hot, relevant topics. The exhibit hall will be open on Thursday, March 22, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Friday, March 23, 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.; and Saturday, March 24, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Among a variety of social, alumni and networking events, Hinman’s signature social events include:

· James Farmer Book Signing & Coffee – Best-selling author, Southern Living editor-at-large and professional garden, floral and interior designer, James Farmer, will speak Thursday, 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. and sign his newest book, A Place to Call Home. Fee: $25.

· Hinman Luncheon with Roland Mesnier – Hosted at the Capital City Club, Roland Mesnier will share stories from his time in the White House. He was hired in 1979 by first lady Rosalyn Carter and served as Executive Pastry Chef under five Presidents over 26 years. The luncheon is held Friday at 11:45 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. Fee: $70.

· Dental Student Happy Hour – Dental students are invited to a Happy Hour in the Hinman Hoops area of the exhibit hall to kick-off Friday evening from 4 - 5 p.m. Attendees can enter-to-win fabulous prizes as well as receive two free drinks. Fee: Free to registered dental students that pre-register for the event.

· Hinman’s Night Out at the Georgia Aquarium – Hinman takes over the Georgia Aquarium and invites all registered dental professionals to the masquerade-themed event held Friday from 7 - 10:30 p.m. Fee: $40 for registered attendees with a reduced price of $20 for students and residents.

Posted on December 7, 2017

As President of the Dental Lab Owners Association of California (DLOAC), Greg Nash, CDT, presided over the 14th Annual International CAD/CAM Symposium on November 16th through 19th. Over 300 lab owners and technicians attended the dental CAD/CAM show in Garden Grove, California. Dr. Marko Tadros, a prosthodontist who practices with Drs. Goldstein, Garber, and Salama at Team Atlanta rocked the house with his presentation, “Meet Your Future Customer; Is Your Lab Relevant?” Dr. Tadros shared his perspective on how 3D printing and other technologies will change the dental landscape and presented digital workflows that provide opportunities for laboratories to increase their value to the clinicians they serve. Another presentation highlight was Dr. Rella Christensen, who provided an update on her current research on zirconia and other restorative materials.

Jerry Ulazic, CDT, National Association of Dental Laboratories President, presented CDT Milestone Awards to David Workman, CDT (35 years), Kenneth Bailey, CDT (40 years), and Johannes Kuehn, CDT (50 years). Helen Smith also received an award from the DLOAC for her years of tireless work on their behalf.

The 2018 Symposium will be held on October 11th through 14th again in Garden Grove. Lee Culp, CDT, and other industry luminaries will be presenting. Exhibit space sold out over a month before the show this year, so early registration is recommended. For more information, contact Rachelle Kenyon at 949-498-8791 or execsec@dloac.org.

Posted on December 7, 2017

With Veneer.ME from Smile Line USA, you'll be able to carry, ship and manipulate your hyper-delicate veneers in the highest conditions of security. The base of the veneerME box is covered with a sticky pad out of polyurethane gel. Veneers are placed on the pad on their buccal surface and adhere naturally. All the preparation process of the internal part of the veneer (acid etching, silanization) can be done in this position without any fear of a veneer escaping or falling on the floor. The pad's material is super resistant and can be re-used several times (it is easily replaceable in case of deterioration). The membrane-frame can be clipped on the base of the box for extra fixation. This membrane is permeable which is a huge advantage. The clinician can proceed with rinsing and drying after having replaced the membrane-frame on the base without the fear of losing a veneer. This allows the clinician to work in the best conditions and with total security. Veneer.Me is sold in a set of three compartments with extra spare PU pads and extra membrane filters. To order, visit the website at www.smilelineusa.com or contact us directly at 877-755-6868